German military struggles on eve of taking reins of nato crisis response force
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The problems aren't limited to the German Air Force. "Less than half of the 224 Leopard 2 tanks are ready to roll and a mere five of the Navy's 13 frigates are
seaworthy," Sputnik previously reported, citing the Germany Defense Ministry's "Report on the Operational Readiness of the Bundeswehr's Primary Weapon Systems 2017."
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged in February that "we cannot make up for the years of reductions and cuts over 25 years" quickly, adding that the €200
billion ($250 billion) military modernization program was "a long and arduous path." Berlin has kept defense spending at just 1.2 percent of its GDP in recent years, a fact that
has not gotten past US President Donald Trump. "We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military,"
he remarked in March.